The New York Yankees haven't looked like the same team that raced out of the gate at a record pace earlier in the season. Part of the reason for their struggles has been the injury bug, especially in their pitching rotation. The likes of Luis Severino and Nestor Cortes have hit the injured list, though Severino is on the way back, as he is set to make a rehab start at the end of this week. On Monday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided an encouraging update on the status of Cortes, as reported by Marly Rivera of ESPN.

https://twitter.com/MarlyRiveraESPN/status/1564396861485486080?s=20&t=KSPGfFmAB_enZ456uQIxuw

Per Rivera, Nestor Cortes is “on track” for a bullpen session on Wednesday. From there, the Yankees are hoping that Cortes, who is dealing with a groin injury, will face live hitters in Tampa this weekend.

If the southpaw is able to progress through those steps without setback, a return back into the rotation, presumably sometime next week, could be in the cards.

That would be excellent news for the Yankees, as Cortes has been one of their best hurlers all year long. The first-time All-Star has pitched to a 9-4 record with a 2.68 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 131 innings.

The injury could prove to be something of a blessing in disguise for the Yankees and Cortes, who has never thrown more than 100 innings in a season until 2022. He has blown past that number already but being sidelined for a couple of starts could end up preserving his arm for when the games matter the most.